In the summer of 2020, it still looked like Mitsubishi would slowly withdraw from Europe. Now the Japanese want to try it again here.
Almost written off, now back: Mitsubishi stays in Europe, will bring two new models next year and will also benefit from the e-offensive in the alliance concluded with Renault and Nissan in Germany. Even a remake of the Outlander is no longer entirely impossible, as Managing Director Werner H. Frey suggests.
But again new model for Europe
"This is an important step into the future," says Frey, assessing the recent new announcements by Allianz regarding the strategy for the next few years, in which Mitsubishi's European arm also plays an important role. A year and a half ago, the Japanese had announced that they no longer wanted to bring any new models to the continent. That would probably have been death by installments for the brand. But the then newly appointed Renault boss Luca de Meo changed the plan and started the withdrawal from the retreat.
The new beginning should begin in 2023 with a new edition of the compact SUV Mitsubishi ASX. Formerly a bestseller in the brand's range, the all-wheel drive vehicle, which is now almost twelve years old, has long since been overtaken by the competition on both sides. The second generation should catch up again and uses the platform of the Renault Captur. It is flanked a little later by a small car based on the Clio. According to Frey, the differentiation from the Renault models is not least due to a particularly generous five-year guarantee, which underlines the traditionally robust image of the brand.
Fills a gap in the German market
"Further model plans are not yet concrete," says Frey. However, negotiations are currently underway as to whether the Outlander, which has already been introduced in other countries, is still coming to Europe. The current generation of the mid-range SUV has long been one of the most successful plug-in hybrids and could also fill the gaps in the new edition that the European premium manufacturers leave open in the market segment, especially in the middle price segment. However, the chances of other international models coming back to Europe seem slim. The brand will primarily focus on sister models of European Renault passenger cars.
E-cars only for rewarding classes
Frey sees it very positively that Mitsubishi is part of the alliance's electric offensive. However, it is still unclear exactly how this will be reflected in the future model range. "We will now analyze in which segments we see the greatest opportunities for Mitsubishi e-cars," says Frey. You can choose between an offshoot of the future small electric car Renault 5 and a model based on the Renault Mégane E-Tech.
Until the innovations come, Mitsubishi has to concentrate on its current, fairly clear model range. In addition to the outdated ASX, the L200 pick-up and the electrified Eclipse Cross crossover model, it trusts above all the Space Star microcar, which, with almost 22.000 units in 2021, was responsible for more than half of Mitsubishi's new registrations in Germany. The price-breaker, which is particularly popular with private customers, will continue to run until 2024. If there is a successor, it will probably be electric.